AIE Organizational Guidelines

Guidelines for Arizona International Educators

Arizona International Educators (AIE) is a professional organization for educators who are committed to supporting and enhancing the ideals and practices of international education in the State of Arizona. AIE members work together to avidly promote educational principles and curricula that stretch across cultures and national boundaries.

Guideline I: Name and Mission and Official Logo

Arizona International Educators (AIE) is the name of an organization that has existed as an informal group in the State of Arizona since about 1990. On 09/25/2012, Arizona International Educators was officially registered as a trade name with the State of Arizona Department of State and given trade name number 556609. The Official Logo appears at the top of this page. The mission of the Arizona International Educators organization is to:

Provide professional development and networking opportunities for international educators within the State of Arizona;

Increase the number of international students and scholars coming into Arizona and the number of Arizona residents who participate in education abroad programs;

Promote Arizona as an attractive education destination for students from other countries;

Advocate for international education within the state.

To accomplish these goals, Arizona International Educators and its Leadership Team members pledge to:

Provide varied professional development opportunities at reasonable cost;

Maintain high standards for professional development in Arizona;

Provide networking opportunities for international educators in Arizona;

Help members maintain high standards of professional conduct;

Keep members informed of best practices and current policies and regulations;

Cooperate with federal, state, and local agencies and civic groups that have interests in international education;

Educate state, civic, and educational leaders about the importance of international education.

Guideline II: Membership and Meetings

Membership in Arizona International Educators shall be open to all persons living in Arizona who have an interest in the mission, vision and goals of AIE. There are no annual membership dues. Members are invited to attend the annual state meeting of AIE held during the spring each year in various venues around the state of Arizona. Other meetings, workshops, and sessions may be arranged as needed and as interest indicates. A membership application form is attached to these guidelines as an appendix, but it is not a part of these guidelines and is not subject to the same rules of amendment. The membership application form may be revised or modified by the Leadership Team without the approval of the membership.

Guideline III: Leadership, Officers and Terms of Service

The Leadership Team of Arizona International Educators shall consist of the following officers:

Chair

Chair-Elect

Secretary

Treasurer

Arizona’s State Representative from the NAFSA Region II Team

Director at Large

Director at Large

Director at Large

The Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer of AIE shall be nominated and elected at the annual state meeting. Candidates for open positions may be announced in advance of the state meeting by electronic means. The Chair and Chair-Elect shall serve for two years. The Secretary and Treasurer shall serve for three years. The Arizona State Representative serves on the Leadership Team in an ex officio capacity due to the position on the NAFSA Regional Team. The selection and term of this position is defined by NAFSA Region II. The three Directors at Large are appointed by the Chair in consultation and agreement with the Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and the State Representative. Directors at Large may, if they wish, accept a position as one of the elected officers. If any member of the Leadership Team wishes to leave the Team before the end of their term, their replacement shall serve only until the end of the term. At the annual meeting, every year, the Chair shall introduce the Leadership Team members to the assembly and shall ask for a voice vote to affirm them.

Duties of AIE Leadership Team

The Chair of AIE shall be responsible for giving the organization its overall strategic direction and shall implement an action plan. The Chair shall identify programs and activities appropriate to the organization and shall establish committees and/or sub-committees to work on such projects. The Chair shall coordinate and call meetings of the Leadership Team. The Chair shall set the agenda for meetings after consulting with Leadership Team members to solicit agenda items and issues. The Chair shall chair the meetings and guide discussions. The Chair shall ensure that all Leadership Team members have an opportunity to be heard at meetings and that meetings are conducted in a fair and open manner. The Chair shall be responsible for keeping important records of the AIE and shall pass such records to his/her successor. The Chair shall also be the final authority for the content of the AIE website and shall direct all changes made to the website. If the Chair is not available or is not able to serve, the Chair-Elect will become Chair and serve the remainder of the predecessor’s term and then begin his or her own two-year term. If this occurs the Leadership Team may decide to hold a special election for Chair-Elect. Upon the end of the Chair’s term of office the Chair will become a Director at Large.

The Chair-Elect of AIE shall be responsible for managing, organizing, and coordinating the Field Advocate Program. The Chair-Elect will assist the Field Advocates in identifying issues that concern the organization. The Chair-Elect will keep the Leadership Team informed of the activities of the Field Advocates and will serve as a liaison to the Leadership Team on the activities of the Field Advocates. The Chair-Elect shall assist the Chair on all matters for the benefit of the organization. The term of office of the Chair-Elect shall coincide with the term of the Chair. Upon the expiration of the Chair’s term of office, the Chair-Elect shall become Chair and shall serve for a full term of office. A new Chair-Elect shall be nominated immediately and the Secretary shall organize an election according to the guidelines set forth for such elections.

The Secretary of AIE shall be responsible for taking notes at the Leadership Team meetings and for preparing minutes of the meetings in a timely manner. the Secretary shall submit a draft of the meeting minutes to the Chair for review and approval before final distribution. The Secretary shall distribute the minutes to all Leadership Team members. The Secretary shall draft correspondence as needed on behalf of the AIE. The Secretary shall maintain the membership list, contact list, and sponsorship list. All such lists maintained by the Secretary shall remain confidential and shall not be shared with outside vendors, organizations, individuals, agencies, or parties without the express and written direction of the AIE Chair and Leadership Team. The Secretary shall maintain all records in a retrievable database that can be copied, shared, and passed to the successor. The Secretary is also responsible for conducting any voting that needs to take place for the Leadership Team or for amendments to the guidelines. If the Secretary is not able to complete the term of office, the Chair may appoint a replacement to serve the remaining term until the next general election.

The Treasurer of AIE shall be responsible for maintaining the fiscal records of the AIE. The Treasurer shall make a report to the general membership at the annual meeting about the AIE account income and expenses and the current balance. The Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining the AIE funds in a safe and secure manner so that the funds are accessible at all times by the Chair or Treasurer or other designated member. The Treasurer shall deliver a written financial report annually to the Chair and Leadership Team. If the Treasurer is not able to complete the term of office, the Chair may appoint a replacement to serve the remaining term until the next general election.

The State Representative shall serve as a liaison between AIE and NAFSA Region II and NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The State Representative shall serve on the state meeting committee and shall assist with planning the annual state meeting. The State Representative shall make a report at the annual meeting on issues and items of regional and national impact from a NAFSA perspective. The State Representative shall keep the Leadership Team informed of important NAFSA initiatives, plans, meetings, announcements, and issues, especially those that impact Arizona. As an ex officio member of the Leadership Team, the State Representative shall not have a vote on matters on which the Leadership Team takes a vote.

The Directors at Large of AIE shall serve as advisors to the Leadership Team. They shall bring issues and items to the attention of the Leadership Team for possible action and response. They shall solicit opinions and guidance from the membership and they shall keep the Leadership Team informed of trends, problems, issues, and questions from around the state of Arizona pertaining to international education. The Directors at Large shall be the official time-keepers at the annual meeting to make sure the meeting is kept on schedule to the extent possible. The Directors at Large shall serve for two years. The Chair may reappoint a Director at Large for an additional term. If a Director at Large is not able to complete the term of office, the Chair may appoint a replacement.

Voting

All actionable items and motions on which the Leadership Team must decide shall go to a vote. To pass, a motion must carry a simple majority of the Leadership Team. Voting may take place by voice vote. If members of the Leadership Team cannot vote in person, voting may take place by electronic mail or by other acceptable means. The Secretary shall record all voting that takes place.

Field Advocates

In addition to the Leadership Team, Arizona International Educators shall have a Team of Field Advocates (FA’s). The Field Advocates will be members of AIE who have specific interests in various and diverse aspects of international education. The Field Advocates shall use their expertise and experience to raise issues of concern and bring these to the Leadership Team. They shall assist the State Meeting Planning Committee by developing ideas for breakout sessions and suggesting presenters and guest speakers.

The number of Field Advocates will be determined by the interests and needs of the AIE membership. The Team of Field Advocates should ideally include members with expertise and experience in one or more of the following areas:

Education Abroad

International Student/Scholar Advising

International Admissions/Recruiting

English as a Second Language and Intensive English programs

World Languages

University Issues

Community Colleges

Internationalizing the Curriculum

K-12 Education

Vocational/Technical (M-1 visa) Schools

Using Technology to Enhance International Education

Undocumented Students

Refugees/Asylum Seekers

Study Arizona

Members of the Leadership Team may also serve as Field Advocates.

Guideline IV: Annual AIE Meetings and Events

Many of the duties and responsibilities of the AIE Leadership Team shall focus on the Annual State Meeting. The State Representative shall be responsible for forming a committee to plan and execute the Annual State Meeting. The Annual State Meeting is a one-day meeting that takes place in the spring of every year, usually in March or April depending on “spring break” schedules of the various institutions where many AIE members are employed. The Annual State Meeting may take place on the campus of one of the institutions where AIE members are employed, or in another acceptable venue. The State Representative and the State Meeting Committee shall be responsible for the following details:

meeting venue

agenda

elections

guest speakers

meals

planning

schedule

theme

topics

invitations

publicity

fliers

parking and signage

directions

other details as assigned.

Guideline V: Treasury and Funding

Funding for AIE activities, purchases, rentals, refreshments, printing and meetings comes from the AIE treasury. All funds that the AIE needs for routine operations must be raised through charges to the membership for the annual meeting. The Treasurer or any member of the AIE Leadership Team may also solicit sponsorship or in-kind contributions. The Treasurer shall make appropriate arrangements for the accounting of all AIE income and expenses. The account information will pass to the new Treasurer at the end of the annual meeting that marks the end of the Treasurer’s two-year term in office.

Purchases and financial transactions may be proposed by any member(s) of the AIE Leadership Team. All purchases and financial transactions made by AIE must be conducted by the Treasurer. The Treasurer may authorize and execute minor purchases such as supplies. Larger expenditures, such as those connected to the annual meeting, must be approved by the Chair and a majority of the Leadership Team. The AIE Chair may direct the Treasurer to make a purchase with the approval of a majority of the Leadership Team. The Treasurer’s annual report shall reference every purchase and transaction made from the AIE treasury, and shall cite the purpose and the authorization for each item listed.

Guideline VI: Amending and Changing the Guidelines

The AIE Guidelines may be amended or changed by the following process:

Any official member of AIE, including any member of the Leadership Team, may propose a change or amendment to the Guidelines by submitting the proposed change or amendment in writing, on paper or electronically, to the Chair.

The Chair shall distribute the proposed change(s) or amendment(s) to the Leadership Team for comment and consideration. The Chair shall allow a reasonable amount of time for review.

If a majority of the Leadership Team supports the change(s) or amendment(s), the Chair shall present the proposed change(s) or amendment(s) to the membership for approval and ratification. The AIE Chair and Secretary together shall determine the best and most efficient process of voting, such as show of hands or a paper ballot at the annual meeting or by electronic means during other times of the year. Only registered official members of AIE may cast a vote. In the event of an exact tie vote the President of AIE shall cast the deciding vote.

If the proposed change(s) or amendment(s) are ratified by the vote, the Chair shall direct the Secretary to update the Guidelines to reflect the new change(s) or amendment(s), which will go into effect immediately.

These Guidelines as written or as amended shall be in effect until such time as a majority of AIE official members votes to replace them.

Prepared by Ken Bus, AIE Member
Glendale Community College- Arizona
Original Release Date: February 21, 2013.
Amended and Revised January 27, 2014
Amended and Revised March 28, 2014 as approved by quorum at annual meeting.
Amended and Revised January 1, 2015 as approved by electronic vote.
Amended and Revised October 17, 2016 as approved by electronic vote.